Yarn treating apparatus and method

ABSTRACT

A METHOD OF PROCESSING YARN AND, MORE PARTICULARLY, FOR PRODUCING FALSE TWISTING YARN. AN ADVANCING STRAND OF YARN IS PASSED THROUGH A HEATER AND SUBSTANTIALLY REVERSES DIRECTION ACROSS AT LEST ONE COOL GUIDE BEFORE THE HEATED YARN PASSES THROUGH A FALSE TWIST SPINDLE. ALSO DISCLOSED IS A GUIDE PIN APPARATUS ABOUT WHICH THE YARN IS PASSED.

Nov. 9., 1971 G. HILBERT YARN TREATING APPARATUS AND METHOD Original Filed Oct. 20, 1967 FEQB mvlarrmle. RICHARD G. HILBERT 7? i; Mi/0% ATTO R NEYS United States Patent US. Cl. 57--34 HS 14 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A method of processing yarn and, more particularly, for producing false twisting yarn. An advancing strand of yarn is passed through a heater and substantially reverses direction across at least one cool guide before the heated yarn passes through a false twist spindle. Also disclosed is a guide pin apparatus about which the yarn is passed.

REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 676,751, now abandoned.

This invention relates to a method and apparatus for processing yarn and, more particularly, to a method and apparatus for producing false twist yarn.

As used herein the term yarn means all kinds of strand material, either textile or otherwise.

In the false twist process, a continuously advancing strand of yarn passes through a twist stop (such as feed rolls which stop migration of the twist) and a heater (which heats the yarn to the desired processing temperature), and then through a false twist spindle (to provide a twist which migrates through the strand). Then the strand of yarn is wound on a take-up spool. The nature of the process is such that in order to speed up the passage of the yarn and increase capacity, the length of the yarn path in the heater must be increased to maintain the desired processing temperature. This results in lengthening the heater and imposing a limiting factor on the capacity of commercially successful false twist processes.

It has been found commercially impractical to pass the yarn through a plurality of passes in the heater because the resultant false twist yarn is of inferior and unacceptable quality.

The invention is, in brief, directed to a method and apparatus for treating an advancing strand of yarn in a false twist process including passing the strand through a circuitous path by directing the strand across one or more guides in a heater to heat the strand, cooling the strand as it moves about at least one of the guides, and if desired then false twisting the heated strand.

It is a primary object of this invention to provide a new and improved method and apparatus for treating yarn.

Another object of this invention is to provide a new and improved method and apparatus for false twisting yarn.

Still another object is to provide a new and improved method and apparatus for treating a strand of yarn including the steps of passing the strand across a guide to direct the strand in a circuitous path through a heater, and cooling the guide.

A further object of this invention is to provide a new and improved method and apparatus for treating a strand of yarn including the steps of passing the strand across a guide to direct the strand in a circuitous path through a heater for heating the strand, and cooling the strand as it moves about the guide. A related object is provision in such a method and apparatus for false twisting the heated strand. A related object is provision in such a method and apparatus for cooling the strand by maintaining the guide at a lower temperature than the strand temperature as it approaches the guide. Another related object is provision for cooling the strand by maintaining the guide at a lower temperature than the heater temperature. A further related object is provision of such a method in which the strand is substantially reversed in direction as it passes about the guide.

These and other objects and advantages of the inven tion will be apparent in the following description and the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary, schematic front elevational view of a false twist machine suitable for performing the method of this invention; and

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken generally along the line 2-2 in FIG. 1.

Referring to FIG. 1 of the drawing, a false twist unit includes a supply bobbin 10 from which a strand of yarn 'Y passes through a yarn guide 11 and a suitable twist stop 12 shown as feed roll apparatus for controlling the tension of the yarn. From the twist stop 12 the yarn passes through another yarn guide 13 and into a false twist heater 14 of the plate-type. The strand of yarn Y passes through a first groove 15 in a heated plate 16 and around a first guide 17 where its direction is reversed, then throng-h a second heater groove 18 and around a second guide 19 where its direction is again reversed and from which the strand of yarn passes through a third heater groove 20 before being withdrawn from the heater 14. From the heater, the strand of yarn passes through a false twist spindle 21 and then a traversing mechanism 22 for guiding the yarn onto a driven take-up spool 23.

An enlarged detailed view of the first guide 17 is shown in FIG. 2. The second guide 19 may be identical except for orientation. The guide 17 includes a hollow cylindrical guide body 24, of chrome plated stainless steel, or other suitable material, secured in a recess 25 in the heater plate 16 by means of a special fitting or bolt 26 threaded into a coupling 27 which is in turn threaded into a bore extending through the heater plate 16. The guide body 24 is therefore clamped between a head 28 of the bolt and an opposed face 29 of the heater plate recess 25. A U- shaped groove 30 in the guide body 24 reecives the strand of yarn Y.

Suitable cooling fluid, such as air, is supplied through a tube 31 connected with the hollow coupling 27 and then through an axial passage 32 extending completely through the bolt for discharging the air into the ambient atmosphere. The passage 32 may communicate with radial passages 33 opening into an annular channel 34 in a cylindrical shank portion of the bolt. The channel 34 provides exposure of the inner surface of the guide body 24 to the air.

By way of specific example, in false twisting 100 denier nylon yarn, the heater plate 16 may be heated to a temperature of 450 F. which causes the yarn Y after three passes of about 20 inches each, for a total pass of 60 inches in the heater 14, to be heated to substantially the same temperature (450 F.) when it emerges from the heater. By cooling at least the body 24 the second guide 19 to a temperature of 350 F., it has been found that the false twisted yarn has a skein shrinkage of about 60 percent and retains a strength of to percent, as compared with a strength of about 50 percent (of the original yarn strength) when the guide is not cooled. Skein shrinkage is determined by measuring the length of a weighted skein of yarn, then soaking the yarn in water at about F. for about 10 minutes, and agaln measuring the length of yarn with the same weight attached.

While this invention has been described and illustrated with reference to a particular embodiment in a particular environment, various changes may be apparent to one skilled in the art and the invention is therefore not to be limited to such embodiment or environment.

I claim:

1. The method of processing a strand of yarn, comprising the steps of heating the strand by moving the strand through a heater and as the strand is moving through the heater, directing the strand in a circuitous path by passing the strand across and in contact with the surface of at least one guide located within the confines of the heater, and maintaining the temperature of the surface of the guide below that of the heater to thereby reduce the temperature of the strand as it moves about the guide.

2. A method as set forth in claim 1 in which the step of maintaining the temperature of the surface of the guide below that of the heater comprises passing a fluid which is at a lower temperature than the heater temperature through the guide.

3. A method as set forth in claim 1 in which the step of maintaining the temperature of the surface of the guide below that of the heater comprises maintaining the guide surface at a lower temperature than the strand temperature as the strand approaches the guide.

4. A method as set forth in claim 1 in which the step of directing the strand in a circuitous path comprises substantially reversing the direction of the strand as it passes about the guide.

5. A method as set forth in claim 1 including the step of false twisting the heated strand after it passes the guide.

6. A method as set forth in claim 5 in which the step of directing the strand in a circuitous path comprises substantially reversing the direction of the strand as it passes across the guide, and in which said temperature of the surface of the guide is lower than the strand temperature as the strand approaches the guide.

7. A method of processing a strand of yarn, comprising the steps of heating the strand by moving the strand through a heater and as the strand is moving through the heater, to direct the strand in a circuitous path by passing the strand across the surface of at least one guide located within the confines of the heater, and maintaining the guide at a temperature lower than the heater temperature.

8. A method as set forth in claim 7 including the step of false twisting the heated strand after it passes the guide.

9. Guide means for processing a strand of heated yarn, comprising a hollow cylindrical guide body with surface means thereon, a semi-circular groove on said surface means to receive said yarn, fitting means passing through said hollow cylindrical guide body, and a cooling fluid carrying passage passing through said fitting means but separate from said surface means and said groove whereby the temperature of said surface means and said groove is maintained at a temperature lower than that of the heated yarn as cooling fluid is passed through said passage.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said fitting means mates with coupling means and said coupling means is attached to a source of cooling fluid.

11. Apparatus for processing a strand of yarn comprising, means for advancing said strand along a path in a heater, guide means having surface means for receiving the strand and guiding the strand through a change in direction, said change in direction conforming generally to at least a portion of the configuration of said surface means, and temperature reducing means associated with said guide means for maintaining said surface means at a temperature below that of said heater.

12. Apparatus according to claim 11 wherein said temperature reducing means comprises means to pass a fluid of a lower temperature than said heater through passage means in said guide means.

13. Apparatus according to claim 11 wherein said guide means comprises a fitting with an axial passage therethrough and said surface means comprises a hollow guide body with said fitting passing through said hollow.

14. Apparatus according to claim 13 wherein said temperature reducing means comprises means to pass a fluid of a lower temperature than said heater through said axial passage.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,336,738 8/1967 Mattingly et a1. 5734 3,050,819 8/1962 Allman, Jr. et al. 2,951,330 9/1960 Bouvet. 3,124,859 3/1964 Corbiere et al. 3,270,492 9/1966 Fitton et al. 3,382,555 5/1968 Smoots, Jr. 3,386,143 6/1968 Van Silfhout. 3,393,880 7/1968 Keith etal. 3,445,996 5/1969 Berger, Jr. 5734 3,449,898 6/1969 Fujita et al. 5734 FOREIGN PATENTS 901,922 7/ 1962 Great Britain.

STANLEY N. GILREATH, Primary Examiner W. H. SCHROEDER, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R.

2862; 57157 TS, 106; 242l57 

